The invention relates to pyrotechnic caps and to methods for manufacture thereof. More particularly, the invention is concerned with caps of the above variety which are hermetically sealed.
In the aforementioned U.S. Pat. No. 4,130,082, there is described a pyrotechnic cap which produces a highly intensive audible signal (e.g. 158 to 164 decibels at 25 centimeters) when activated by a chemical flashlamp. A quantity of pyrotechnic mixture is hermetically sealed within the cap's plastic container to assure provision of the described signal in addition to protecting the mixture against adverse environmental conditions. The defined means for sealing the cap in U.S. Pat. No. 4,130,082 includes utilization of a thin transparent cover member which is secured over the top end of the container, or locating a quantity of sealing material such as epoxy or paraffin within the container immediately above the pyrotechnic mixture.
The present invention represents an improvement to the above by providing a flashlamp-activated pyrotechnic cap which is hermetically sealed without the need for additive items such as epoxy, paraffin, or transparent covers. The invention is thus less expensive to manufacture and more suitable to mass production techniques.
It is believed, therefore, that a flashlamp-activated pyrotechnic cap which is relatively inexpensive to manufacture, adaptable to high volume production, and assures a hermetic seal of the cap's pyrotechnic mixture without the necessity for additional sealing items such as epoxy, paraffin, or transparent covers would constitute an advancement in the art. It is also believed that a new method for making the above cap would also constitute an art improvement.